


the one

by williamwheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Boys In Love, Mutual Pining, Pining, before s3, mike wheeler - Freeform, will byers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 04:53:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20222122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/williamwheeler/pseuds/williamwheeler
Summary: will byers is certain that he’s in love with mike wheeler





	the one

**Author's Note:**

> here’s another old fic i wrote before season 3 came out (shocking i know) hope y’all enjoy

will byers is unsure of many things.

he’s unsure of how he’s still having nightmares about the mind flayer a year and half after the events of 1984.

he’s unsure about how dustin is still glancing at max and lucas talking together with a look of jealousy on his face. even though the two are clearly meant to be at this point.

he’s unsure of why his mom still gets anxious and hesitant when will wants to hang out with his friends on his own when they both know he’s not a little kid anymore. the gate has been closed, and there’s no chance of the mind flayer returning.

out of all of those things though, there is one thing will is certain of.

he’s in love with mike wheeler.

no matter how much mike talks down on himself, or says that he thinks he’s too tall and skinny, will thinks he’s the most beautiful person he has ever had the fortune of seeing. 

he loves his freckles. the way they dot his cheeks and nose. they remind him of a constellation in a starry night sky (which, by the way, will would love to be able to lay and watch with mike one day.) he loves his round, dark brown eyes. they remind him of honey, multiple shades of brown and yellow seeming to show through depending on the light. he loves his soft, long hair. they way sometimes loose curls will hang over his face or at the nape of his neck. he loves how tall he is. and how he’s able to drape an arm around will’s shoulder, which makes his heart race and his cheeks burn every time. he loves everything about mike. he loves how caring he is of everyone, always jumping in to help, and how still, everyone considers him the leader of the party, which will thinks is fitting. mike is like a protector. the way he immediately answers his walkie-talkie, ready to help someone or save them if he has to, even if it ends up being dustin babbling about something that isn’t quite so important. 

will loves mike. he’s known that since…since as long as he can remember. since he knew what liking someone meant. his mom and jonathan told him about getting crushes and what they were in the second grade, saying will would one day “find a girl.” but when they described what liking someone felt like, the first person that came to mind was mike. it was always mike. it always has been.

and it hurts. a lot. because he knows mike isn’t gay. hell, he dated el for a good two months before they decided to end things, allowing el to explore the world on her own, and both of them believing el wasn’t quite ready to date. he remembers mike explaining to everyone that it wasn’t quite love, and that they didn’t feel that way towards each other. will wasn’t quite sure why that made him feel so giddy, but it did. 

he knows mike has always seemed to show interest in girls. sure, he and will have always been more close than they were with lucas or dustin, but they’re best friends. why wouldn’t they be? it doesn’t mean anything. 

everytime will thinks he’s ready to tell mike he likes him, everytime he wants to spill everything he likes about mike’s face alone to him, he stops himself. tells himself it will only end in him ruining everything. the party already knows will is gay. he told them, with the same, panic inducing fear, but they had no issue. he remembers feeling so beyond anxious that his whole body was shaking.

_ “g-guys… can i tell you something? i understand if, if you think i’m gross or weird if i say this.” his voice got quieter and faster as he talked. mike put a hand on his shoulder, telling him that it was okay. they wouldn’t judge him._

_ “i’m gay. i always have been.” he had said. looking at the floor, waiting for someone to laugh or go and tell everyone that “will’s gay!!” but that didn’t happen. they all smiled, assuring him that it was okay. that they wouldn’t treat him any different. he noticed mike seemed to look… relieved? like he was told good news? will couldn’t pinpoint an explanation, but mike was known for having all his emotions clearly presented by his expression._

______

_mike’s lips crash into will’s, a passionate kiss that he had been dreaming of for years. it feels so right, holding mike, mike holding him. he never imagined this would happen. he couldn’t believe it was actually happening. mike pulls away, and smiles that beautiful smile of his at him. _

will jolts awake at the sound of his alarm clock blaring. he groans, turning it off, rubbing his eyes. did he seriously just have a dream about mike again? it felt so real, yet so cliche at the same time. like some kind of romance film. he sighed, replaying it in his head anyway, wishing it could happen. for real. but he knows it never will. unless, of course, he tells mike.

but obviously, that’s not going to happen. mike’s straight! he likes girls and girls only. it’s obvious. the thought makes his chest hurt. he wishes that it wasn’t the case. he wishes he could get over mike and like someone he actually had a chance with. but everytime he tries to even think for a brief second about him being with anyone else, it made him feel sick. it didn’t feel right at all. 

______

he needs advice on what to do, because he can’t bottle this up anymore. he has to tell mike how he feels or nothing is going to happen. he listed in his head who he should ask. el? no, she was mike’s ex, that would just be plain rude to her to ask for advice on getting with her ex boyfriend to her face. even if el has moved on. lucas? maybe, considering he’s in a relationship. dustin? he has gotten quite a bit of advice from steve (which hasn’t exactly worked, but still.) and he could ask max, considering she’s also in a relationship. 

after what felt like hours of deliberation, he decides to radio lucas, asking if he can come over. ‘it’s really important.’ he says. lucas agrees, and he can hear over the walkie-talkie the sound of lucas biking as quickly as possible to will’s. 

eventually, he arrives, knocking on will’s window. he opens it letting him in. they sit on the floor by the bed, and will’s suddenly very anxious, even though he knows lucas won’t judge him.

“okay so, to put it uh- shortly, i uh- really really like mike? like i think i might love him?” will whispers. there’s no sign of surprise on lucas’s face. instead he chuckles, which gives will a huge feeling of dread in his stomach.

“wait, wait wait wait… you thought, all of us weren’t aware? will, i-, we can all see you and mike giving each other heart eyes. and the way he wraps his arm around your shoulder? i’ve caught him staring at you for minutes on end and vice versa. you guys are so oblivious!” at this point, lucas has a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. will’s first instinct is to get angry and make some witty comment back at the accusation, but then it hits him. wait, mike… likes him? or at least seems to? that can’t be right.

“lucas, how do you know he does actually like me though. what if he’s just staring at me because he thinks i’m weird or something?!” will pleads. he wants to be 100% sure mike likes him before he initiates anything. lucas scoffs, rolling his eyes. 

“again, oblivious. he so obviously likes you. the way he talks about you to us? it’s like he’s talking about god himself. he obviously loves you will. you might as well just tell him. i guarantee that it will go well.” he says, a reassuring tone in his voice, while half mocking him at the same time. 

will exhales heavily. thinking about what he could possibly say to mike in his head. he can’t think of anything that doesn’t sound stupid or too forward. he asks lucas again for advice, for which he just says to _tell him_ with an exasperated smile. eventually, joyce comes in the room and politely tells lucas that they’re about to have dinner. before lucas leaves, he gives will a thumbs up and mouths “good luck” before climbing out of the window. 

hours pass and will still doesn’t know what to do. what to say. where to ask mike to go when they talk. but he has to tell him. he has to. it’s now or never. without thinking or completely realizing what he’s doing, he calls the wheeler’s.

he’s greeted by mrs. wheeler, and he’s somewhat thankful it isn’t ted answering, (considering he’s heard him make homophobic comments when he stayed at mike’s house). 

they exchange “hello!”s and “how are you?”s before he asks for mike. he hears mrs. wheeler yell his name, and mike grudgingly say something, before changing his tone when he realizes will’s calling. when mike takes the phone, will hears his soft voice, gentle and sweet.

“hey will. what’s up?” he says. will can almost hear the smile in his voice. 

will’s heart is pounding out of nervousness. he doesn’t have a plan, he just needs to talk to mike. in person. 

“uhm, i kinda wanted to talk about something. would i be able to come over?” he realizes it sounds kinda rude to ask to come over to mike’s rather than the other way around, and before he’s about to apologize for being so abrupt, mike responds.

“of course! you can come over now if you want.”

  
  


______

they’re in mike’s basement, like always. it reminds will of the d&d sessions and the talk they had on halloween night of 1984. he smiles at the memory. then he starts breathing a little too quickly, because what he wants to tell mike is extremely risky, he doesn’t know how mike is going to react.

he must have been silent for a while, because mike nudges him, asking what’s up again. will sighs, and decides to just be forward. to say everything he’s wanted to say for years now. he looks mike in the eyes, and is mesmerized by his beautiful features. they never fail to make his heart flutter. he feels himself falling for mike all over again.

“mike, i’m not sure how you will feel about this, which is why i’m so nervous.” he says, he can feel a lump in his throat. he hasn’t realized quite how nervous he actually is until now.

“but uhm, i like you? a lot? and i have for a while. i don’t even like, know if you’re gay or anything but, i really didn’t wanna hide it any longer.” he doesn’t break eye contact with mike, but his hands are shaking and mike just has a shocked expression, but then the cutest, dorkiest grin he’s ever seen spreads across his face. mike pushes his bangs out of his eyes, and he can’t stop smiling, will notices. maybe lucas was right. maybe telling mike was a good idea. 

“will, i like you too. i really do. oh my god i- i never thought you’d like me. u-uh, but, i’ve never been more happy.” he finishes, laughing and smiling, eyes glassy with tears. _he’s so cute._ will thinks. he wants to say it too.

“you’re so cute. i can’t believe the prettiest boy in the world likes me back!” he breathes. mike looks down, still smiling, pink tinting his cheeks where his freckles were. now will’s smiling too, interlocking his fingers with mike’s longer ones. it feels so right. he feels safe in this moment.

“will, what does this mean for… us? do you- does that make us boyfriends? b-but i understand if you aren’t ready for that!” he rambles again. restarting sentences over and over again, trying to say the right thing. will thinks it’s adorable how nervous he gets. still holding onto his hand, he smiles at mike. now they’re so close will could practically count the freckles on mike’s face. he can see every detail of his skin, every color in his eyes. saying he’s beautiful is an understatement. magnificent, gorgeous, _enchanting_. god he’s so in love.

“uhm, i’d like that. i’d like to be boyfriends i mean.” he whispers. they’re so close. he pushes a strand of hair out of mike’s face, only for another to fall. his hairs so long. too long. he thinks. but to will it just makes him even more endearing. he doesn’t know how he got so lucky, to be in the presence of this boy. 

“you’re so pretty.” he can’t help but say. mike blushes again, but doesn’t look away. his arms are around will’s neck now. he seems to think for a second, before brushing his lips against will’s. then they’re kissing, and it’s real. it’s not a dream. the world seems to stop spinning and everything is in slow motion as he’s kissing _mike wheeler._ the name that would always cause him to look up if he heard it. the name that would make him blush and his heart burst. the name of the boy he loved from a distance since second grade. the boy that he’s kissing in this moment. finally, after so long. will can’t help but worry that he’s a bad kisser, but mike doesn’t seem to care. however, when they do pull apart, will almost wants to cry at how cute mike is, smiling at him, tears at the edges of his eyes. not quite spilling over, but they’re there. he kisses mike cheeks, then his nose, and his forehead. something he’s also wanted to do forever. 

will may be unsure of many things. but he’s certain that mike wheeler is the one.

  
  
  



End file.
